Terminal board and combination thereof with terminals and protective cover



March 6 1962 E. J. NIELSEN ET AL 3,

TERMINAL BOARD AND COMBINATION THEREOF WITH TERMINALS AND PROTECTIVE COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1961 INVENTORS. F/6. 7 EE//\ .z /Y/EL$E/Y 08587 .0. BOLEY 5r arm/away.

March 6, 1962 E. J. NIELSEN ET AL 3,024,439 TERMINAL BOARD AND COMBINATION THEREOF WITH TERMINALS AND PROTECTIVE covER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1961 INVENTORS. file/K J: N/EZSE/Y EOBEET D. BOLEY BY W. Z HTTOE/VEV This invention relates to an electrical insulating terminal board for electrical devices such as relays and the like.

More specifically, it relates to a terminal board which supports terminals having connectors at the front or outer face of the board for connection to external circuits and having contacts at the rear or inner face of the board for associating an electrical device at the inner face of the board with the external circuits, the device and contacts being enclosed by a cover which is connected to the board and cooperates therewith to protect the enclosed parts from dust and foreign matter.

Terminal boards of this general character have been provided heretofore. Usually such boards have passages therein through which the metal terminals must be inserted during the installation on the board. However, it is difficult to install terminals through such passages by forcing them endwise therethrough, due to the configuration of the terminals themselves, and the contacts and connectors carried at the ends thereof. Furthermore, it is difiicult to install these terminals securely and rigidly in position after insertion.

Terminal boards with slots for receiving strip metal terminals edgewise, combined with locking strips to hold the terminals in the slots also have been provided, an example being the structure disclosed in US. Patent No. 1,984,036, issued to H. Schwartzmann, December 11, 1934.

In the board of the above identified patent, the terminals can be effectively installed in the slots, but not rigidly held in place by the board locking strip and the cover cannot be secured to the board and cooperate with the locking strip to exclude dust from the terminal contacts at the inner face of the board.

In accordance with the present invention, an effective board and terminal combination is provided in which the terminals can readily be installed and locked fixedly and firmly in position by a locking strip which serves also as a gasket between the board and cover secured thereto to prevent access of dust and foreign matter to the interior of the cover and to the contacts at the inner face of the board.

For the purpose of illustration, the board and terminal combination is shown as associated with a small relay and with the terminals having contacts for the relay, the use of the combination with other devices being apparent from the illustrative example.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description wherein reference is made to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the terminal board and terminals embodying the principles of the present invention, and associated with a relay and adapted to receive a cover for protecting the relay and its contacts;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the board and associated structure illustrated in FIG. 1, showing the cover in place theeron, part thereof being shown in section for clearness in illustration;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the terminal board and associated terminals and a combined locking annulus and gasket used in connection therewith;

States Patent 3,024,439 Patented Mar. 6, 1962 ice FIG. 4 is a horizontal sectional view of the board taken on line 4-4 in FIG. 3; and

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are a front elevation, a rear elevation, and a side elevation, respectively, of the board, with some of the terminals omitted for clearness in illustration.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the board is shown associated with a relay, indicated generally at 1, having a coil 2 and movable contact carriers 3 with movable contacts 4 thereon. The relay circuit includes conductors, such as 5, each having at one end a connector tab 6 by which it is connected to a terminal mounted on the board. The relay also has resilient tabs 7 which are arranged to bear against other terminals mounted on the board.

The specific types of contacts or connectors on the terminals depend upon the particular equipment.

The relay is protected by a suitable cover 8 which is arranged for cooperation with the terminal board of the present invention, for fully enclosing the relay and the terminal portions disposed at the rear or inner face of the terminal board.

Referring specifically to the terminal board, the board comprises a rigid body 10 of electrical insulating ma terial, such as hard rubber or various types of synthetic plastics and the like. The board 10 has a front or outer face 11 and a rear or inner face 12 joined by a peripheral wall 13.

For the purpose of supporting the cover 8 in closing position, the peripheral wall has a peripheral flange portion 14 with its rear face extending outwardly and spaced rearwardly from the forward face. The wall 13 has a peripheral closure portion 15 extending rearwardly from the flange portion 14 to the rear face 12. The flange portion 14 and seating portion 15 are so arranged that when the cover 8 is installed, the forward edge of the cover 8 bears against the rear face of the flange portion 14 and the interior wall of the cover snugly embraces the closure portion 15.

The body 10 is arranged so that the terminals can readily be installed therein. For this purpose, it is provided with rows of slots 16. The slots extend from the peripheral wall inwardly of the body at an abrupt angle to the front and rear faces of the body, and also at an abrupt angle to the peripheral wall itself. Preferably, they extend, endwise, at right angles to the peripheral wall and open at their outer ends through the peripheral wall and extend, sidewise, normal to the front and rear faces 11 and 12 and open therethrough. Thus each slot is open at its outer end through the peripheral wall 13 and is open at its sides through the front and rear faces 11 and 12, respectively.

The slots 16 are arranged for receiving terminals 18 having such specific connectors, contacts, and the like as desired on their opposite ends. In the illustrative example, the terminals 18 are provided at their outer ends, at the outer face 11 of the board 10, with conventional connectors to which wires of an external circuit may be attached. At their inner ends, the terminals have contacts and connectors for the associated relay 1.

Since the terminals are essentially the same insofar as concerns their mounting in the present board, only one will be described in detail.

A typical terminal 18 comprises an elongated rigid strip of conducting metal having at its inner end a contact 19 which may be such a contact as to cooperate with the contact 4. At its outer end, the terminal 18 is provided with a connector portion 20. This portion has a tapped aperture 21 for receiving a screw 22 of the conventional connector clamp 23, whereby a wire of an external circuit can readily be clamped to the portion 20 at the front or exterior face of the cover. Between the contact 19 and the portion 20, the terminal is provided with an outer or front set of lugs 24 and an inner or rear set of lugs 25 for cooperation with the board 10. For this purpose, the board is provided at the inner end or base of each slot 16 with a socket 26 which extends from the base of each slot inwardly of the board toward the lateral mid-portion of the board, and which opens through the rear face 12. This slot is so arranged that when the terminal 18 is in operating position in its slot 16, one of the lugs 25 will seat firmly in the socket 26 and thus resist rocking of the terminal in its slot. Generally, the thickness of the lugs 25 in a direction endwise of the slot 16 and normal to the face 12 is such that the lug 25 exactly fills the socket 26, leaving that adjacent edge of the terminal between lugs 24 and 25 juxtaposed on the base or inner end of the slot.

The outer lugs 24 are bent at an angle to the plane of the terminal so that when the terminal is installed in its slot, they are not aligned with the slot, but engage the front or outer face of the board adjacent to the slot. If desired, suitable projections 27 and 28 may be provided on, and integral with, the front face so as to engage the edges of the lugs 24 and the face of the terminal opposite thereto for helping to hold the terminal in proper position.

The terminals 18 preferably are receivable laterally edgewise in the slots 16, respectively, and when fully seated in the slots, they extend, endwise of the terminals, outwardly from and beyond the front or outer face 11 and the rear or inner face 12, respectively, of the board 10.

The inner side walls of each slot 16 are provided with a plurality of integral ridges 29. These ridges compensate for manufacturing inaccuracies and thereby assure a good squeeze fit on the faces of the terminal. They can be sheared ofl partially by the terminal as it passes edgewise into the slot 16 should they obstruct its path.

The outermost edges of the lugs 24 and 25, when the terminals 18 are fully installed in their slots, are disposed inwardly from the peripheral seating wall of the board. At their outer extremities, the board has a marginal seating portion 30 which preferably is parallel to the rear face 12 and offset a slight distance therefrom toward the forward face. This outer marginal seating portion extends from the outer ends of the lugs to the peripheral closure portion 15 and is peripherally continuous. It is adapted to receive a locking strip for holding the terminals against edgewise displacement outwardly endwise of the slots 16. The terminals, as mentioned, are held by the lugs 24 and 25 against displacement endwise of the terminals.

The marginal portion is exposed rearwardly of the board 10. An abrupt shoulder 31 is disposed at the inner limit of the portion 30. The portion 30 is accessible from the rear face of the board so that it can receive an annular combined locking strip and dust gasket 32 by movement of the gasket in a direction toward the portion 30 while the gasket is held generally parallel to the rear face 12 of the board and to its own installed position on the portion 30.

The outer edges of the lugs 24 and 25, when the terminals are fully seated, are disposed at the inner limit of the portion 30 and extend rearwardly from the general plane thereof.

The combined locking strip and gasket 32 comprises an annulus or frame of insulating material which is relatively hard, but slightly bendable. The inner periphery 33 of the strip 32 fits snugly against the peripheral shoulder 31. The outer peripheral wall 34 of the strip 32 is disposed so that it forms a continuation rearwardly of the peripheral wall portion 15 when the annulus is installed. The strip preferably has fiat front and rear faces 35 and 36, respectively, the front face being juxtaposed firmly against the peripheral portion 30 when the strip is installed. In some instances, the flange 14 does not continue around the entire periphery. Instead, the peripheral wall portions, such as 37 and 38, are provided on the board beyond the extremities of the flange 14.

The locking strip is so arranged that its periphery at these portions forms a continuation of the planes of the walls 37 and 38.

The strip 32 may be pressed firmly into place and secured then by rivets, if desired. However, it is found that suitable pressure sensitive adhesive is adequate for this purpose, as all forces tending to displace the strip are directed outwardly endwise of the slots 16 toward the periphery of the board. The cement is adequate to prevent the displacement of the strip 32 in a direction normal to the rear face 12 and the strip is firmly held against lateral displacement by its cooperation with the shoulder 31.

It is apparent, therefore, that when the strip 32 is secured onto the surface 30, it completely closes all portions of the rear edges of the slots, not closed by the terminals 18 themselves, from the portion 30 rearwardly of the board.

Since the outer edge of the strip is contiguous with the peripheral wall portion 15, and the cover extends from the flange 14 rearwardly, the outer periphery of the strip is engaged by the inner wall of the cover, thus completely blocking access into that portion of the space within the cover which is rearwardly from the portion 30.

In some instances, it may be desired to reinforce the strip 32 against outward edgewise distortion. In such a case, the strip is provided with cutouts 40 which open outwardly edgewise of the strip, and the board is provided with lugs 41 adapted to be received in and snugly fit the cutouts. In such instances, the outermost surfaces of the lugs, edgewise of the strip, form continuations of the peripheral wall portion 15 rearwardly from the portion 30. Consequently, when the cover is in place, its side wall is engaged about its entire inner periphery by the portion 15 and edge of the strip 32, thus providing an effective obstruction to the entrance of dust into the interior of the cover.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A terminal board including a body having a front face and a rear face, and a peripheral wall, said body having a row of slots therein, each slot extending from the peripheral wall inwardly of the body at an abrupt angle to said faces and at an abrupt angle to the peripheral wall, each slot being open at its outer end through the peripheral wall and open at its sides through the front face and rear face, terminals having portions receivable laterally edgewise in said slots, respectively, through the outer ends of the slots and snugly accommodated therein, with portions of each terminal extending lengthwise of the terminal outwardly from and beyond said faces, said body and each terminal having portions with complementary shoulders engageable with each other for constraining the terminals from movement endwise of the terminals in said slots, said body having at the rear face a seating portion extending from the outer lateral edge of the terminals, edgewise of the terminals, outwardly toward the adjacent peripheral wall of the body and providing a seat for a locking strip, said seat being exposed rearwardly and accessible so that it can receive a locking strip by movement of the strip in a direction toward, and generally normal to, the rear face, while the strip is parallel to its installed seated position on the seat, a locking strip so receivable and seated on said seat, and means securing the strip in fixed position on the body.

2. A terminal board according to claim 1 wherein at least one of the opposed aligned respective face portions of the walls of each slot by which its associated terminal is engaged when the terminal is in operating position therein is provided with small integral protuberances which extend slightly into the slot to compensate for variations in manufacturing tolerances of the terminal and slot while assuring a snug fit of the terminal in the slot.

3. A terminal board according to claim 2 wherein the protuberances are ridges extending at acute angles to the length of the installed terminal.

4. A terminal board according to claim 1 wherein the slots in the body are arranged in rows at opposite margins thereof, said seating portion is peripherally continuous and surrounds the outer edges of the terminals, and the locking strip is peripherally continuous and is receivable on the seat by movement thereonto in said normal direction while parallel to its said installed seated position.

5. A terminal board according to claim 4 wherein the strip is of relatively still, but slightly resilient, material.

6. A terminal board according to claim 4 wherein the rear face of the margin forming the seat is offset from the remainder of the rear face in a direction toward the front face.

7. A terminal board according to claim 6 wherein an abrupt shoulder facing outwardly toward the periphery of the body is provided which extends from the inner edge of the offset marginal rear face and the outer edge of the remainder of the rear face, the slots open through said shoulder, and portions of the outer lateral edges of the terminals extend outwardly endwise of the slots slightly beyond said shoulder, and the inner periphery of the continuous strip snugly engages said portions of the lateral edges and yieldably urges the terminals edgewise in the slots inwardly of the body.

8. A terminal board according to claim 7 wherein each terminal has opposed shoulders at its inner edge spaced from each other endwise of the terminal, and said body has a portion receivable snugly between said shoulders.

9. A terminal board including a body having a front face and a rear face, and a peripheral wall, said body having rows of slots therein at opposite margins thereof, each slot of each row extending from the peripheral wall at its associated margin inwardly at an abrupt angle to said faces and at an abrupt angle to its said associated peripheral wall, each slot being open at its outer end through its associated peripheral Wall and open at its sides through the front face and rear face and adapted to receive portions of terminals laterally of the board edge- Wise in said slots, respectively, through the outer ends of the slots and snugly accommodate them therein so that said portions of each terminal will extend lengthwise of the terminals outwardly from and beyond said faces, said body having at the rear face a seating portion disposed outwardly from the base of the slots and extending from the outer limits of the portions of the slots which are to accommodate the terminals, endwise of the slots, outwardly toward the peripheral wall and coextensive peripherally of the body with the peripheral wall, and providing a seat for a peripherally continuous locking strip, said seat being exposed rearwardly and accessible so that it can receive said locking strip by movement of the strip in a direction toward, while the strip is generally normal to, the rear face, a peripherally continuous locking strip so receivable and seated on said seat and closing the sides of the slots at the rear face outwardly from said outer limits to the peripheral wall, and means securing the strip in fixed position on the body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,495,267 Larson Jan. 24, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 557,756 Belgium June 15, 1957 

